St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco (born August 16, 1815, Becchi, near Turin, Piedmont, kingdom of Sardinia [Italy]—died January 31, 1888, Turin; canonized April 1, 1934; feast day January 31) Roman Catholic priest who was a pioneer in educating the poor and founded the Salesian order. He is a patron saint of editors, publishers, youth, apprentices, and magicians.

John Bosco was born during a drought and famine in a time of reconstruction, following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. His father died when he was two years old, leaving his devout mother to raise him and his two elder brothers in poverty as subsistence farmers and shepherds. As a young boy, he saw the performance of a traveling circus troupe and began to teach himself magic tricks and acrobatics. He would gather groups of other children for his little shows and would recite a recent homily, prayer, or hymn at the end. He felt called to the priesthood but lacked the necessary education. He eventually found a sympathetic priest who helped him with some basic education, but his pursuit was harshly received by one of his brothers. Bosco left home at the age of 12 and worked odd jobs as a farm labourer until he came into the care of the future saint Joseph Cafasso, who helped to further his education at the seminary and taught him about the spirituality of St. Francis of Sales.

Bosco was ordained a priest (1841) in Turin and, influenced by Cafasso, began to work to alleviate the plight of poor and neglected boys who came to seek employment in the city. Working in borrowed premises, Bosco provided boys with education, religious instruction, and recreation; eventually he headed a large establishment containing a grammar school, a technical school, and a church, all built through his efforts. He also achieved a local reputation as a popular and eloquent preacher and was known to use the magic tricks he had learned as a boy to get a crowd’s attention. In Turin he and 22 companions founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (also known as the Salesians of Don Bosco) in 1859, and before his death it had spread to England, France, Spain, and South America. With St. Mary Mazzarello he founded the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco) in 1872, a congregation of nuns dedicated to similar work among girls.

Bosco was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI, who knew him as a young priest.